Automatic coal-bucket



(NoModeI.)

A. M. RUGKER 85 T. LONG. AUTOMATIC GOAL BUCKET.

No. 418.231. Patented Dec. 31, 1889.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER M. RUCKER AND TIMOTHY LONG, OF MILWAUKEE, VISOONSIN.

. AUTOMATIC COAL-BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,231, dated December31, 1889. Application iiled April 27, 1889. Serial No. 308,791. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER M. RUCK- ER and TIMOTHY LONG, ofMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Coal-Buckets; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of said invention, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

Our newly-invented device belongs to that class of automaticcoal-buckets in which compressed air, steam, or water is used to closethe two sections of the bucket.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of our device, partsbeing broken away to show other parts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe same device, taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. l. Fig.3 is a detail of the check-valve and cut-off in the induction-pipe. Fig.4 is a detail of'a modiiied form of cross-bar.

A cylinder A is provided with downwardly andv outwardly extending arms BB, to the lower ends of which the two sections C C of the coal-bucketare hin ged, and on which they are thereby supported. The sections C Cof the bucket are hinged at their outer upper edges to the arms B B,each section being hinged to two of the arms B.` The cylinder A is madesteam and air tight and is provided with a piston, the stem D of whichat its outer end is connected to a cross-bar E, which cross-bar extendslaterally parallel to and above the line of junction of the two sectionsof the bucket, and at each of its outer ends are two swinging arms F F,hinged thereon, the lower ends of which arms are secured pivotally tothe inner upper edges of the sides of the sections O C. Lateral braces GG are secured to the arms B B. The cylinder is provided with a ring H,whereby the cylinder and its supported bucket may be attached to theelevating and carrying mechanism. The cylinder is provided with aninduction-pipe I,whereby compressed air, steam, or Water maybeintroduced into the cylinder from the flexible supply-tube K. Theinduction-pipe I is supplied with a plug-valve L, having a crank-arm M,and a connecting-rod N connects it to one arm of the bell-crank O,

which bell-crank is pivoted on the cylinder A. A spring P, connected atone end to the bell-crank O and at the other end to the cylinder A, isadapted to throw the bell-crank into such position as to open theinductionpipe through the plug-valve L, and a suspended weight Rreceives the impact ofthe free arm of the bell-crank O as the cylinderand it-s load travels forward on its track as a carrier and throws thebell-crank arm backward, turning the plug-valve so as to shut oif theinflow of steam or air and allow the steam or air in the cylinder to bedischarged therethrough and out at the orifice S. As the tube K is aflexible one, it permits the cylinder and its load to be elevated andcarried along a track and returned to its work without disconnecting thesteam or air supply, if desired; but as it is often desirabletodisconnect this supply-pipe a proper air-tight coupling U is constructedfor connecting the iieXible pipe K with the induction-pipe I, and acheck-valve at T prohibits the escape of the steam or compressed airfrom the cylinder when the pipe K is uncoupled at U. A stopcock V is putin the pipe K at any place desired to close that pipe and prevent theescape of steam or compressed air therefrom.

The construction of the bucket and the piston is such that by gravitythe sections. of the bucket are thrown open into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. l, and in this condition the device is lowered tothe mass of coal to be gathered into the bucket, and steam, air, orwater under sufficient pressure is introduced into the cylinder throughthe induction-pipe, whereby the piston is forced upward in the cylinder,and the inner edges of the sect-ions of the bucket are drawn togetherupward, scooping up the coal and closing in the form shown in Fig. l, inwhich form the deviceis elevated to a track or to a crane and is carriedor swungaway to the point of deposit of the coal, where the bell-crankimpinges against the weight R or other obstruction provided therefor,whereby the plugvalve L is soi-turned as to close the inductionport andopen the eduction-port or oriiice S, whereby the steam, air, or water isdischarged and the piston falls, opening the bucket and discharging thecoal.

The modified form of cross-bar E (shown IOO in Fig. 4L) .is bentdownwardly somewhat, whereby. the cylinder is brought nearer the bucket,and the perpendicular height of the cylinder and bucket together issomewhat lessened. rlhis form of construction is desirable Where thespace in which the device operates is limited in its perpendicularheight.

What we clai rn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

I. The combination, with a coal-bucket in two sections hinged at itsouter edges on arms secured rigidly to a cylinder above. the bucket, ofa steam-tight cylinder, a movable piston therein provided with a rigidstem, and hinged. arms connecting the stem of the piston to the upperinner edges of the sides of the section-s ofthe bucket, substantially asdescribed.

2.v The combination-cfa bucketin two section-s0 C, each of whichsect-ionsis hinged at itsouter upper edge to arms B B, secured rigidlyto acylinder A, with a pistonhaving asteml), across-bar E, hung on thestem I), and swinging arms F F, hinged on thek crossbar.-.E.and.-pivotedto the inner upperedges ofzthevv sides ofthe sections() C,substantially` asfdescribed.

3.; The-combination, with a. bucket in-two sections@ @hinged on armsattached to a cylindersA,.and apiston Working in the cylinder, the stemof which is connected by arms to the innerswingng edges of the sectionsof' the; bucket, of an induction-pipe I, a plugvalve L therein, abell-crank O, one arm of' whichis connected to the crank of theplugvalve, a retrieving-spring P, and an obstruction R, against whichthe free arm of the bell-crank is adapted to impinge, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with a cylinder A, provided with a piston adapted toclose the sections of a bucket supported on the cylinder, ot aplug-valve L, adapted to be operated by means, substantially asdescribed, and a fieXible supply-pipe K, leading into the inductionpipeI and provided with a stop-.cock V, substantially as described.

5. In a-device for automaticallyclosing a coal-bucket, a steam-cylinderA, provided 'with an ind notion-pipe I and-a plug-valve L therein, theplug-valve being constructed t0 open-a passage from the supply-pipetothe cylinderA and a passage from the cylinder 'to' the open air, of? abell-crank O, pi-voted ony the cylinderandconnected to the arm oftheplug-valve by connecting-rod-N, a retrievingspring P, an obstacle R;againstwhich the free arm of'th'e'bell-crank is .adaptedto iinpinge, anda check-valve T, as and for the purpose set'forth.

In testimony whereof wel affix our signaturesin presence ot-twowitnesses.

' ALEXANDER. M. RUGKERi TIMOTHY LONG. Witnesses:

C. T. BENEDIGT, 4ANNA FAUsT.

